Posted on March 19, 2023 Posted By: HCCCategories: journey
Heartland Community Church
THE JOURNEY
The Rest of Your Life
By Brooke Hodnefield
As the days of creation reveal, God is quite familiar with work himself. He created humans with unique giftings and interests specifically so we can pursue his redemptive work in partnership with him.
– The Word Before Work – Jordan Raynor
I’ve always been so intrigued by this intersection of faith and work. What does it look like to be a Christian and to work not for the satisfaction and acceptance of self, boss, family, or church but for the glory of God? But what actually IS glory? Glory is God’s magnificence reflected in us, pointing to our creator versus ourselves. The freedom from working for Jesus versus man also comes with weight. We are ‘God’s fellow workers’ (1 Corinthians 3:9) and have the privilege and responsibility of co-laboring with God.
As Jordan’s quote points out, we are each equipped uniquely, precisely, and on purpose for what God has created us to do with our lives. How remarkable that God holds us in such high regard that he would choose us to build out his kingdom plan! Sometimes the most significant challenge is recognizing what God has actually called us to do. And for how long.
We can each look over our lives and see different seasons and chapters that require that we show up in different ways, using our gifts, maybe even in ways we hadn’t thought we would or could. It’s hard to be in that space where you know you are misaligned with the work you are doing, but for practical reasons have to stay, put your head down, and do it. There are also those spaces we step into that allow us to maximize our highest and best use of ourselves, and we can sense God’s momentum in and through us.
Regardless, we must steward the time we have, and consider it a privilege that God has invited us to join him in the redemptive work he has set before us. While it may seem small or insignificant, the impact each of us makes when we show up exactly as God has called us brings a diverse and beautiful expression of work to our world. This display of excellence and care in and through our work points to our maker, not our self-significance.
While we don’t know what tomorrow will bring, what we do with today matters. Some days we win and some days we learn. Often we don’t get as far as we thought we would or accomplish as much as we’d like. God loves the work we do, but more importantly, he loves who we are. What we do matters, and God will continue to use us as an active part of his redemptive plan.
There will always be a gap between what we imagine accomplishing in this life and what we actually get done. We will all die with unfinished symphonies. God is able to bring eternal results from our time-bound efforts.
There are people in our lives whose voice carries greater weight. When they speak, we listen more attentively. Their words have a significant impact and land differently than the words of others. The caution in this passage suggests that truth can get slandered and still come from the places and spaces we may feel most trusted or safe. If you have been misguided or led on by others you thought you could trust, you’ve experienced this. Ultimately, Jesus is the only perfect truth-teller. We should continually ask him to weigh in when we may be relying too heavily on the voice of others. Whose voice carries a good deal of weight for you?
God’s sovereignty is made perfectly clear in this passage. He named the who, what, when, and where, then went to work. We often attempt to craft or control our own lives.…but this excerpt from Paul David Tripp’s work, Journey to the Cross, right-sizes and reminds us who is in control. Where do you struggle for control versus recognizing God’s power in your life?
"In the vast expanse of time, the huge company of people and the multitude of locations that were the setting for his plan of grace, he was never surprised, never unprepared, and always in control. Christ’s march to the cross reinforces for us that our rest and hope are not in our knowing, but in his ruling. The God who knows no surprises will surprise us again, but it is okay, because what we don’t know, he knows; what we can’t control, he controls, and because he does, we can live with mystery and surprise and not be afraid."
Peter is using stories his listeners would have been very familiar to illustrate the danger of falling so deeply into bad habits and sin that we justify horrible actions and struggle to find our way out. Verse 9 offers a turn toward hope in the reminder that, although God judges immorality and persistent sin, he rescues those that keep their eyes and their actions on him, or turn toward him for rescue. How can we as Jesus followers carry a message of hope from these stories to people we have earned the right to speak truth to? How do YOU balance truth and grace and the good news that Jesus will rescue all who turn toward him?
I must admit, these lists of all the dark and murky places in our world (and in our hearts) is overwhelmingly sad and ominous. For many, the dark reality of the world we live in and the influences and forces bent toward evil are hidden. But, any one of us could stumble. And many of us know someone who has, or who is still caught in a web of darkness, poor choices and bad influences. As I have felt weighed down in these readings for anyone who doesn’t know or cannot see, my only response has been to pray. Would you join in those prayers: for protection over others, for provision of a way out, for eyes to see where my words might encourage, and for people tethered to Jesus that can be a lifeline of rescue to any who will grab hold.
Am I living in freedom if my actions physically, emotionally, mentally and socially are building toward my own destruction? Freedom is defined as the absence of necessity, coercion or constraint in choice or action; liberation from slavery or restraint or from the power of another. What feels "free" in the beginning can become the very thing that holds power over us or enslaves us to its control. What are some warning signs or measures that you use to gauge your level of "freedom" over something? How do you gauge whether you are moving toward Jesus and hope, or being sidetracked down a more dangerous path?
How often have we sought with every bit of might and good intention to stay on the path, follow Jesus’ leading, and seek him wholeheartedly to find ourselves stumbling off track or walking in the wrong direction?! We are again ‘tangled up and enslaved by sin’ (2:20) through our humanness and freedom to choose our own way. Our wanderings and misadventures create opportunities for us to return to God repeatedly and choose him despite the guilt or shame we may feel. What is a path you seem to wander on too often?
{extra journey resources}
CLICK HERE to visit The Bible Project site and explore their super simple, super informative Bible videos (and other resources). You can also download The Bible Project App HERE.
CLICK HERE to get the Read Scripture App, from our friends at The Bible Project.
CLICK HERE for more on how to use the observe-reflect-apply approach to getting the most out of your Bible reading.
The Bible App Get the free YouVersion Bible for your phone, tablet, or computer. Experience the Bible anywhere, with options to highlight, save notes, and share what you are reading with others.
The Bible App For Kids YouVersion partnered with OneHope to develop the Bible App for Kids, designing it specifically to engage children with Bible stories on an age-appropriate level. The Bible App for Kids is a free app for Android, Apple, and Kindle devices, available in over 60 languages.
Bible Gateway Provides advanced Bible searching capabilities, which allow readers to find passages in scripture based on keywords, phrases, or scripture reference.
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